Prefabricated transportable modular building units



April 14, 1970 J. w. FYLE, JR 3,505,767

PREFABRICATED TRANSPORTABLE MODULAR BUILDING UNITS Filed Oct. 30, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PREFABRICATED TRANSPORTABLE MODULAR BUILDING UNITS Filed Oct. 30, 1968 April 14, 1970 J. w. FYLE, JR

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VENTOR ATTORNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 52-143 13 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A prefabricated transportable modular building unit comprising a strong load-bearing metallic flooring frame formed of longitudinal and transverse marginal structural members with transverse reenforcing members extending between the longitudinal ones and provided with a pair of metallic tubes extending inwardly from each end of the flooring frame for a substantial extent, each pair being symmetrically disposed with respect to the longitudinal axis of the frame but at diiferent lateral displacements from said axis. Each pair of tubes is adapted to nest therein, with minimal clearance, a pair of rods extending from the inner end of a front and rear vehicular transporting dolly, to which dollies are additionally clamped the front and rear ends of the flooring frame to constitute self-contained trailer body of adequately low height for the conveyance of the building unit from its point of fabrication to its installation site. The relative lateral displacement of the coupling rods on each of the dollies permits the connection of the free ends of the rods with the opposite dolly to shorten the longitudinal displacement between the dollies, following their disengagement from the floor frame, for the idle return of the pair of vehicular dollies.

It is the object of the present invention to improve prefabricated transportable modular building units by incorporating therein structural members which not only reenforce the building units but which facilitate the transportation thereof from the point of fabrication to the installation site. This is done by incorporating into the flooring frame of the portable buildings, tubular members at critical locations, which are adapted to cooperate with the transporting vehicle components therefor, so that the building unit may be connected to the latter for support and transport thereby in a manner that the combined assembly can withstand the rigors of highway travel as well as the limitations imposed by the need for transport over bridges of limited capacities in elevation.

These advantages are realized by employing vehicular dollies at the front and back of the assembly, from the inner ends of which project a pair of coupling rods which nest closely within a pair of cylindrical tubes forming parts of the flooring frame at each end thereof. The building unit is adapted to be detachably connected to the transporting dollies in a manner to support the building unit at a low level, so that the height of the building unit is within the clearances afforded by most of the bridges encountered on the main highways.

It is another object of the invention to dispose the pairs of coupling rods on the dollies which cooperate with the pairs of coaxially arranged tubular members in the flooring frame at a relative displacement at the opposite ends, so that following the disengagement of the building unit from the transporting dollies, upon reaching the final destination, these coupling rods may be connected to the respective opposite transporting dolly to shorten the vehicular assembly for the idle return trip of the vehicle.

It is a further object of the invention to improve substantially the construction of modular building units and ice the transportation thereof over that known in the prior art, as exemplified by the disclosures in United States Patent No. 3,279,132, Oct. 18, 1966, and German Patent No. 1,160,163, July 9, 1964.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description of the invention following hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a prefabricated transportable modular building unit mounted for transportation on a pair of vehicular transporting dollies;

FIG. 2 is a horizontal sectional view of FIG. 1 along the top of the floor frame and the transporting dollies;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of the frame of the front vehicular dolly showing the connection of one of the coupling rods of the rear dolly therewith, in the course of the idle return trip of the vehicle components;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view along line 44 of FIG. 3, illustrating the front vehicular dolly with the flooring frame coupled thereto in the course of transportation of a modular building unit thereby;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view along line 5-5 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a vertical sectional view along line 6-6 of FIG. 3.

In the drawings is shown a prefabricated relocatable building unit B, which may be manufactured according to different specifications and which is designed to be transported for substantial distance between the point of fabrication and the ultimate building site. The dimensions of such building units are limited by the need for their transportation over highways and the limitations imposed thereby, especially when bridges are encountered which restrict the height of such buildings so that they may clear the superstructures of such bridges.

It is the aim of the present invention to support the building unit as close to the surface roadway as possible, consonant with safety requirements, to minimize the aforesaid limitations. To this end, the flooring frame of the building unit is constructed in such a manner that the same may be coupled to transportable dollies to constitute an assembly resembling a trailer wherein the floor of the building unit serves as the floor of the trailer, and upon the uncoupling of the building unit from the transportable dollies, the latter may be coupled together in a shortened compact manner free of the building unit for the return trip.

In the drawings is shown the flooring frame F forming part of the building unit B which is adapted to be transported by a pair of vehicular dollies 1 and 2. The front dolly 1 is mounted upon a single or multiple-axle carriage rolling on wheels W forming part of a trailer vehicle (not shown). Likewise, the rear dolly 2 i mounted upon a wheeled carriage with wheels W, as is common in the art.

The flooring frame F is of rectangular outline and may be formed of structural steel members to constitute a load bearing unit adequate to carry loads designed there for. Thus, the frame may be 12 in width and extend up to 60' in length. In the illustrated embodiment, the flooring frame having dimensions of 12 in width and 48 in length may be framed on its margins by 10" rolled steel channels having a weight of 15.3 pounds per foot, which are comprised by the longitudinal members 10, 10' and the transverse end members 11 and 11'. The flooring frame is reenforced by transverse members 12 extending between the longitudinal members 10 and 10' and these may be 8" I-beams having a weight of 10 pounds per foot. The structural members are bolted together in a manner well known in the art of structural steel assemblies.

Floor joists, of a size 2" x 8", span the distances between the I-beams and the end members on 16" centers and may be superposed by two thicknesses of /8" plywood, which may be covered with insulation of /s" vinyl asbestos tile to form a finished flooring which may be accommodated within the perimetric frame in view of the difierences in height between the structural channel members of the perimetric frame and the transverse I-beam reenforcing members.

Variations in the construction of the flooring frame may be made to suit special needs, and these do not constitute part of the instant invention.

The invention herein is attained by the provision of pairs of cylindrical tubes 13 and 14 extending from each end of the flooring frame inwardly for a substantial extent. Both pairs of cylindrical tubes are disposed symmetrically With respect to the longitudinal axis of the flooring frame, but the displacement between the tubes of each pair is different. Thus, the pair of tubes 13 at the front end of the flooring frame is displaced approximately 5 /2 from each other and equidistantly from the longitudinal margins and 10 of the frame, while the tubes 14 at the opposite end are displaced approximately 3' from each other. These tubes extend between the end members 11, 11' and the next adjacent I-beam and are welded to the frame between these members to reenforce the frame substantially by their presence. These tubes may have an outside diameter of 5" with a Wall thickness Of flc".

The front dolly 1 is provided with a structural frame, including a pair of underslung channel members 5 and 6 which may be welded to each other and through which extend tubular rods or pipes 21 which are aflixed to the frame 1 and extend beyond the vertical web 6 of channel 6 for a length of approximately 8' for nesting within the tubes 13 forming part of the flooring frame F. The cylindrical pipes 21 preferably have an outside diameter of 4 /2" with a thickness of 21" so that they may be inserted within the interior of the tubes 13 with slight clearance from the inner wall, which may approximate or a combined diametral clearance of V8".

Similarly, the rear dolly 2 is provided with an underslung structural frame comprising a member at the inner end thereof similar to channel 6 of the front frame, wherefrom extend a pair of cylindrical pipes 22 at a displacement from each other corresponding to that of tubes 14, and which are adapted to be inserted within the latter. The length of the pipes 22 are also approximately 8' and are of the same dimensions as the pipes 21 so that they may nest with slight clearance within the tubes 14.

The flooring frame F is detachably connected to the front and rear dollies 1 by the provision of an integral plate 7 connected to the bottom of the structural frame of each of the dollies. This integral plate, shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 6, is preferably welded to the channel 6 and projects beyond the inner end thereof to an extent sufficient to provide support for the end structural members of the flooring frame. This plate may be 7 or 8" in width with about half of the plate protruding beyond the vertical face of the web 6'.

FIG. 4 shows, on an enlarged scale, the marginal end channel 11 of the flooring frame forming part of the frame of the front dolly 1, and a similar support for the end structural member 11' is afforded by an integral plate extending from the bottom of the structural frame member of the rear dolly 2. The integral plates 7 at each end are additionally provided with a plurality of projections 8 extending therefrom for about 4", as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Each projection is provided with an opening 18 for mounting a clip angle 19 by means of a bolt and nut assembly 20 which extends through an opening in the clip and the opening 18 in the projection 8 which, upon tightening, serves to detachably connect the bottom flange of the marginal structural member 11 of the flooring frame to the dolly frame, and supplements the extended engagement of the coupling pipes of the dolly within the cylindrical pipes in the flooring frame. Preferably, the projections 8 are disposed below the pipes 21 so that no turning moments may arise at this point in the course of travel of the modular building with the flooring frame coupled to the dollies. A bolt may be used for the fastening of the clip angle 19.

As stated above, the clip angles 19 retain the other end member 11 of the flooring frame in contact with the vertical flange of the structural member of the rear dolly 2. In this case, the projections 8 are in alignment with the coupling pipes 22 which project from the inner face of the rear dolly.

Of course, the integral plates 7 may be provided with a plurality of openings 27, which may be in diameter, for accommodating additional clamps for the marginal end of the flooring frame, if such are desired.

Following the arrival of the vehicle and modular unit at its point of destination, the clamping retainers in the form of the clip angles 19, or other clamping devices, are removed and the coupling pipes 21 and 22 are withdrawn from the opposite ends of the flooring frame.

The return trip of the vehicle components is simplified by interconnecting the front and rear dollies at a longitudinal displacement from each other amounting approximately to the lengths of the coupling pipes 21 and 22, by providing circular openings in the vertical faces of each of the structural frame members of the dollies, which are in alignment with the coupling pipes extending from the opposite dolly. Thus, as shown in FIG. 3, circular openings 12 are formed in the vertical web 6' of the inner face of the structural member of the dolly 1 which are of slightly larger diameter than the outer diameter of the coupling pipes 22.

Circular openings 23 are drilled in the top flange of member 6 above the axis of opening 12, and circular openings 24 and 24' are drilled through the top and bottom of the pipe 22 adjacent to the end thereof, so that following the passage of the end of pipe 22 through the opening 12, a bolt 28 may be dropped through the aligned openings 23 in the top flange of channel 6 and the openings 24 in the pipe 22. Of course, if the bolt is /2" in diameter, the openings 23 and 24 should amount to about W for the facile accommodation of the bolt within these openings. The coupling may be effected with the bolt extending through only the opening 24 in the top of the pipe 22, but this is not as secure as the arrangement shown in FIG. 6.

Likewise, openings 23' are drilled in the top flange of the structural member of the rear dolly 2 for the purpose of receiving coupling bolts 28 which pass through these openings and those drilled near the ends of coupling pipes 21 which project from the front dolly 1 and which extend through circular openings in the vertical flange of the structural member 6' of the rear dolly, so that in effect, coupling pipes 21 extending from the front dolly are interconnected with the structural frame of the rear dolly while the coupling pipes 22 extending from the rear dolly are interconnected with the structural frame of the front dolly, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 6. This arrangement simplifies the return of the trailer vehicle dollies, and results in substantial economies in the costs of transportation of the modular building units.

While I have described my invention as embodied in specific forms and as operating in specific manners for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A prefabricated transportable modular building unit comprising a metallic rectangular flooring frame having a pair of long metallic structural members at the longitudinal margins thereof and a plurality of transverse members joined thereto and extending between the ends thereof and at predetermined distances between said ends to form a rigid load-bearing frame, said frame including a pair of metallic tubes extending inwardly from each end of said rectangular frame for a substantial extent, each pair of tubes being spaced equidistantly from the longitudinal margins of the frame and the spacing between the tubes at one end of the frame being less than at the other.

2. A device as set forth in claim 1, wherein said pairs of metallic tubes are of cylindrical cross-section and extend inwardly from each end of said rectangular frame to the next adjacent transverse member.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2, wherein both said longitudinal and transverse marginal structural members are formed of rolled steel channels with the webs thereof disposed in vertical planes and the intermediate transverse members are of rolled I-bea-ms of lighter weight than said marginal structural members.

4. In combination with a modular building unit as set forth in claim 2, front and rear vehicular transporting dollies each having an underslung transverse structural member at the inner end thereof, a pair of metallic cylindrical pipes mounted horizontally on each dolly at a lateral displacement corresponding to that between the pair of cylindrical tubes at the respective end of said flooring frame, and extending beyond the respective transverse structural member on each dolly, said cylindrical pipes having an outstanding diameter smaller than the inside diameter of the tubes on the frame and adapted to be nested within the tubes in the course of transport of the modular building when the flooring frame serves as a coupling between the transporting dollies, and means on each dolly adapted to clamp the flooring frame thereto in the course of said transport.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the length of the cylindrical tubes in the flooring frame and the length of the cylindrical pipes On the transporting dollies are substantially the same.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the combined diametral clearance between the cylindrical pipes and tubes is approximately one-eighth inch.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein the lateral displacement between the cylindrical pipes on the front dolly is greater than that on the rear dolly.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the transverse structural member on each dolly is provided with a pair of circular openings in alignment with the pair of cylindrical pipes extending from the opposite dolly, said openings adapted to receive the free ends of the pipes in the inoperative position of the dollies in the course of their return trip following the disengagement of the modular building unit therefrom, thereby to shorten the coupling between the transporting dollies, and means for fixing the free ends of the respective pipes to the transverse structural member of the opposite dolly.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, wherein said last-mentioned means comprises a horizontal flange at the top of each structural member having an aperture in alignment with the circular opening therein which is adapted to receive the free end of the respective cylindrical pipe extending from the opposite structural member, said pipe having a complementary aperture at least at the top near the free edge thereof, and a coupling bolt adapted to extend through said apertures.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9, wherein the free end of the pipe is provided with diametrally opposed apertures near the free edge thereof, with both apertures adopted to have the coupling bolt extend therethrough.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 8, including an integral plate extending beyond the inner edge and afiixed to the bottom of each transverse structural member on each dolly, said plates adapted to support the opposite ends of the flooring frame in the course of transport of the modular building unit, and said clamping means being mounted on said plates.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11, including a plurality of integral projections extending beyond the free edge of said integral plates, each provided with an opening therein, and a clip angle with a fastening bolt therefor at said opening for detachably connecting the transverse members at the ends of the flooring frame with the respective structural members on the vehicular dollies.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12, wherein said projections are disposed below the cylindrical pipes extending from the respective transverse structural members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,848,252 8/1958 Martin 280-415 3,279,132 10/1966 Slayter 52-79 X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,160,163 12/ 1963 Germany.

38,458 9/1956 Poland.

PRICE C. FAW, JR., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

Patent No.

Inventor(s) UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Dated mass H. mm, .12..

It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Claim column 5, line 29, "outstanding" should be --outside--.

Claim 10, column 6, line 18, "adopted" should be adapted-n SEPS-M April 1 4, 1.970

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I FORM PO-OSO (10-69] USCOMM'DC GUSTO-P59 U S GOVEINMINT PRIN'HNG OFFIC I... O-JiI-ll 

